AND, INDEED, [long before Muhammad] We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses, and appointed his brother Aaron to help him to bear his burden; 35 And We said: "Go you both to the people who have denied Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)." Then We destroyed them with utter destruction. 36 And the people of Noah - when they denied the messengers, We drowned them, and We made them for mankind a sign. And We have prepared for the wrongdoers a painful punishment. 37 And [remember how We punished the tribes of] Ad and Thamud and the people of Ar-Rass, and many generations [of sinners] in-between: 38 for each We struck similitudes, and each We ruined utterly. 39 And certainly they have (often) passed by the town on which was rained an evil rain; did they not then see it? Nay! they did not hope to be raised again. 40 And when they see you, [O Muhammad], they take you not except in ridicule, [saying], "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger? 41 He almost would have misled us from our gods had we not been steadfast in [worship of] them." But they are going to know, when they see the punishment, who is farthest astray in [his] way. 42 Did you see the one who chose his own desires as his God? So will you accept the responsibility of guarding him? 43 Do you think that most of them can hear or understand? They are like cattle, no, they are further astray from the Path. 44